A/N: The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. Hi all! Sorry I haven't been around much lately. eyes warily for disgruntled readers I've been, err, busy, that's right, busy! Well, if you count a new school, a new home, and a paper busy, then I really have been. For full details, see my bio. For now, on to the story! Sylvia
One Week Later.....
Harry jerked away in the Gryffindor dormitory. What was that noise? He sat up and peeked through the curtains on his bed to figure out what it had been that had drawn him out of his first decent night sleep in the past three days. Malfoy had been angsty, and true to form, Harry had been witness to the Death Eaters' activities night after night. His only consolation was the fact that Voldemort was unable to directly attack Muggles. Harry smiled to himself when he found that Professor McGonagall was the reason for the rude awakening. She was waking up Draco. "Wonder why that is?" Harry thought to himself. He waited until she had left the room for him to make his conscious presence known to Draco.
"What's that all about, mate?" He asked, throwing off his blankets. Draco jumped a mile into the air, wand out and pointing at Harry in the blink of an eye. "Jumpy?"
"Don't do that, Harry!" Draco tossed a small pillow at him. Harry caught it and tossed it back. "She says that Professor Dumbledore needs to see me about something." Draco shrugged. "She wouldn't say about what." Harry nodded and twirled his wand around his fingers. Draco was just pulling on his shirt when Professor McGonagall came back up the stairs, muttering under her breath. Draco gave a small gasp and made sure he was decent for his Head of House. He was.
"Oh, Mr. Potter. Good thing you are awake, though I won't ask why you are awake at this ungodly hour of the day. Get dressed. Albus needs to see you too." Harry nodded and pointedly waited for her to leave. She just stood there.
"Er, Professor? I doubt very much that you want to see me without clothes on." He said. McGonagall jumped, turned bright red, and left the room without comment. Harry smirked and started pulling out a fresh uniform. Draco snickered, snorted, and finally resorted to burying his face in his pillow to keep from waking his dorm mates. "It's not that funny, Draco. I suspect she's just tired." Draco shook his head and gasped some air down, trying very hard to regain his feet.
"It's not that. It's just that I could see the "Daily Prophet" headlines now! "Boy Who Lived Ravished by Lustful Instructor", or "Wedding Bells for Potter???" Draco promptly fell back into his bed and indulged himself in a few more deep laughs on Harry's account.
"There's so much wrong with that comment I don't even know where to begin in fixing it. Eww!" Draco continued to laugh about his own jokes. "Har har. Remind me to tell that to Professor Snape. He'd love it!" Harry's sarcastic comment did not reach his helpless friend. Harry finished pulling his tie straight and hauled Draco to his feet. "Let's go. Professor McGonagall is waiting." Draco brightened up again and opened his mouth to make a comment when Harry held up a hand. "Don't even try it. I'll hex you with absolutely no qualms about it." Draco's mouth promptly fell shut.
"All right you two. Let's go." McGonagall led the way to Professor Dumbledore's office. Harry noticed the sunlight just starting to come through the stained-glass windows. The odd shaped colors almost seemed to dance on the floor as they moved. Harry had a strange feeling that today was going to be a good day. A very good day. A muttered password and a short ride up the staircase found them in Dumbledore's office, the man himself already there and sporting a bright fuchsia robe and matching hat. Harry made a mental note to closely monitor Tom's own wardrobe as the man grew older to make sure that no such atrocities would make their way into his closet.
"Ah, good morning, the two of you!" Dumbledore's enthusiasm almost knocked Harry over. His bag of Lemon Drops currently resting on his desk must be laced with Cheering Charms or something of the sort, for his smile was so wide that Harry was afraid to know exactly what the man had been ingesting while taking those Lemon Drops. "Harry, there are some people who need to speak with you in the next room." Harry nodded to Draco and started for the room. He jumped when the door burst open, admitting a grave-looking Snape. Harry watched as Dumbledore's expression fell. "Go on, Harry." Harry opened the door and went in, immediately engulfed by a hug. Two seconds later, he realized that it was Molly Weasley.
"Oh, Harry dear! I'm so happy for you. Read all about it in the papers, of course. Now you've got a proper home and there is nothing the Ministry can do about it, is there?" She didn't wait for an answer, but pulled him down on a couch beside her. For the first time since entering the room, he found Ron Weasley also there.
"Hey mate." He held out a hand to Ron, who took it with a small smile. "Welcome back." Harry didn't need to hear Ron say the apology to know that it was there. Ron smiled again and shook his hand.
"It's good to be back." A cut off cry from the next room made Harry jump to his feet, wand out and feet already heading toward the door.
"Harry, the headmaster told me what it is about. Give Draco some time alone, dear. Professor Dumbledore will tell you later." Harry debated ignoring her instructions and going on with his original plan, but he recalled Matthew telling him that he needed to start trusting the adults to be the adults, while Harry was the child, and like it or not, would remain one until Matthew said he could grow up. Not that Harry had any intentions on listening to that part of the advice. He would grow up when he was ready to do so. Until then, there was always soccer.
"Alright." Harry said, sitting back down. Dobby popped into the room and bowed, presenting breakfast to the three people there. Harry thanked him and asked after Winky.
"Winky is doing much better, Harry Potter, sir. Winky says that she doesn't hate it here so much anymore!" Harry smiled and wished Dobby a good day before serving himself some food.
"Well, Harry. Tell us what you have been doing with yourself." Mrs. Weasley said.
"You already know about Tom. The headmaster wouldn't let me spend more than a night at home with Tom before I came back to school, but Tom says that it is fun to go out and about like a normal person without having others running in terror. He's going to apply for custody for me in three weeks. I'm okay with that..." Harry spoke of Quidditch and classes "Got the notes for you, mate." Ron immediately brightened up again. A quick glance of the watch showed Harry that it was almost time for classes. "Oh, jeez. I've got classes in just about twenty minutes. I've still got to go to the tower to get my books!"
"Okay, dear. I expect letters, from the both of you!" She hugged Harry and Ron, and ushered them out of the room into Dumbledore's office. She used the Floo and was gone, back to the Burrow.
"Hello Mr. Weasley. Welcome back to Hogwarts. I trust that there won't be a repeat of the events that led to suspension?" Dumbledore said, voice appropriately grave as he stared down the Gryffindor student.
"No, sir. No problems at all from now on." Dumbledore smiled.
"Good! Have a lemon drop!" Ron accepted one and looked towards Harry. "Why don't you head to class now? Mr. Potter, stay behind, please." Harry motioned for Ron to go on without him and sat in his favorite chair. "I'm sure you heard young Draco before the silencing spell took effect?"
"Is he okay?" Harry's frantic question came out almost before the end of Dumbledore's sentence.
"He is fine. I have some very bad news. His mother has died, by stepping in between Voldemort and an Auror who was attempting capture. Voldemort, I'm afraid, has escaped." Harry nodded sadly. "Draco is currently with Severus right now. I fear that Hogwarts will have to do without their Potions Master one more day, as Severus has taken the day off to spend with Draco and arrange Narcissa's funeral. Why don't you and Miss Granger go down and visit Draco tonight after dinner? I'm sure that Draco will be more than happy to see you." Harry nodded and thanked the headmaster for the information. He silently cursed the man; he had wanted to go down, but now that the headmaster had given him a time, he couldn't do anything until after dinner. "For now, you'd better head to class." Harry nodded and jumped as Winky popped up into the room. "Ah, here's your books." Harry thanked Winky and left the office, only to meet with an anxious Hermione on the way.
"Ron's here and Draco isn't. What's going on?" Harry whispered the story to the girl, watching as her face changed from one of worry to concern. "He's okay, isn't he? Professor Snape's with him, right?" Harry wrapped an arm around her and gave her a one-sided hug.
"He'll be fine, Hermione. Dumbledore suggested that you and I go down to see him tonight." Hermione gave Harry a tiny smile and then stopped outside the potions classroom. "If Professor Snape is with Draco, then who?" Hermione shrugged. There was no notice saying that Potions was cancelled for the day. Harry and Hermione sat down on the Gryffindor side of the classroom and pondered the lack of the potions master, while the class was still being held. A figure quietly entered the classroom and made his way up front. Harry blinked.
"Good morning, class! Since Professor Snape is unavailable, and I find myself a rather good hand at potions, I thought that I would substitute today." Professor Dumbledore was standing there in an outfit that looked exactly like Snape's, except that it was completely white. "I've looked through the curriculum and noticed a severe lack of mixtures that include sucrose and fructose. So today, I thought that we would focus on these ingredients. A few of the Muggle-born students seemed very excited, while most of the wizarding children looked puzzled. Ron turned to Harry.
"What?" He demanded, wondering what in the world his slightly mad professor had just said.
"We're making candy, Ron." Harry said, recognizing the chemical names for sugar and fruit sugar from his Muggle lessons.
"Candy? Potions rocks!" Harry had never thought that he would have heard those words come out of Ron's mouth in his lifetime.
"There's never a camera when you need one." He muttered to himself as Dumbledore posted the instructions on the board. The letters blinked different colors in time to Dumbledore's humming. There was definitely something in the lemon drops. Harry made another one of his endless mental notes to avoid all lemon drops in the future. He was already odd enough.
Ron led the way to lunch, talking of his newest passion. "Honestly, I never knew that Potions had anything to do with making food." Hermione gave Harry a look that plainly said that all one had to do was mention food to get Ron's approval on anything. "That has to be the coolest thing on the face of this earth, next to Harry's Firebolt. I wonder, if I asked Professor Snape real politely, if he would be able to tell me some more about making my own candy?" Ron fell into happy musings about the possibilities of candy making. Hermione leaned over and tapped Harry's shoulder to get his attention.
"Why do I get the feeling that Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes is going to get a partner, except that this partner is going to specialize only in sweets?" Harry vaguely wondered if Hermione had some sort of seeing gift, because it seemed very likely that Ron was headed in the right direction for a future of that sort. Ron didn't snap out of his happy stupor until much later that night, when Harry and Hermione were getting ready to leave to go see Draco.
"Where are you two going?" he asked, looking up from the list he was making of the candy he wanted to try and make on his own.
"To see Draco." Harry told him. "We'd invite you along, but..." Ron nodding allowed Harry's sentence to remain unfinished.
"I understand. You two go ahead. I'll talk with him later." Harry nodded and led Hermione out of the room and down to the dungeons. Harry lost himself in thoughts while Hermione chattered about her Arithmancy class. Harry wondered how Draco was feeling. True, Harry had lost his parents, and felt that loss everyday, but he didn't remember them. How would Draco be feeling when he had lost, well, both his parents? One to evil, and the other to that evil? Hermione knocked on the portrait and smiled upon seeing Draco. Draco invited them both in eagerly.
"Thank Merlin you are here! I finally badgered Severus into finishing up one of his potions. The man hasn't left me alone the whole day!" Well, that attitude was certainly not the one Harry had been expecting. "Ok, my rant's done. Sorry if that took you guys by surprise. I'm used to being alone for that sort of thing, and Severus said it wasn't going to happen this time around." Draco invited them to sit down.
"How are you, Draco?" Hermione asked, toying with a small throw pillow.
"I'm fine for now. It's weird, you know. It's not like my mother was ever around, but it still hurts. But I'll be okay. Severus said that I'll mourn, in my own way." Harry nodded. He knew what that felt like. "I've been bored most of the day, really. Severus wouldn't even let me near my schoolbooks."
"In that case, let's do something." Hermione reached for her schoolbag. Draco groaned.
"That didn't mean that I want to do homework now!" He whined.
"Who said anything about homework?" She held up a box. Draco let out a huge smile and immediately pulled his two friends over to the rug in front of the fireplace.
"I love this game!" he announced. Harry looked at the box Hermione placed on the ground and frowned. He had never heard of it before. It was obviously a wizarding game, as Draco had clear knowledge of it.
"I've never played it." He admitted. Hermione smiled and shook her head.
"That doesn't matter Harry. It's simple, really. It's a trivia game about wizards, witches, and their lives. The cards give you a random trivia fact, and then you have to guess which magical person it describes. That's why it's called "Witch Wizard?" Cute name, isn't it?" Harry nodded agreement, hoping that Hermione would continue in her explanation. She did. "Some are really easy, and others are more difficult. They're worth different points and the points tally up to allow you to move around the board. The board spaces have different things that happen to your piece, which also affects its advancement. Understand?" Harry nodded and picked out his own piece, a small Quidditch broom. Draco chose a wand, while Hermione chose a cauldron. "Everyone say your favorite color." Hermione ordered as the green started flashing color.
"Lavender!" Hermione shot out.
"Green!" Harry smirked as Draco glared at him.
"Blue!" Draco countered. The three teens watched the board as different colors flashed in front of them. Hermione threw her arms up in victory as lavender finally came to rest on the surface of the board. "Great, now we get to look at that stupid color all night!" Draco sighed and ordered refreshments from a now eager Winky.
"Keep your opinions to yourself. Since my color was chosen, Harry, I get to go first. Who wants to ask me?" She asked, holding out the small box of parchment cards.
"I'll do it, so Harry can see how it's done." Draco offered, taking the box and removing the first card. "If you miss this, Hermione, I get to start the game over. This is too easy."
"So ask already!" Hermione's tone clearly showed her exasperation with Draco.
"Which wizard mentored England's first real king?" Harry blinked. No way were the Merlin stories true?
"Merlin!" Hermione said. Her little cauldron hopped once space forward. Hermione smiled. "Blank space. Nothing happens on those." She explained. She saw Harry's face. "What's wrong?"
"Merlin's stories are really true?" He asked. Hermione's eyes widened. "I know that he existed, but the Lady in the Lake, King Arthur, all of that is true?" He asked.
"Yep, can really tell that you're Muggle-raised." Draco muttered to himself.
"Yes, Harry. Most of it is true. Where were you during history class?" She asked.
"Asleep, with the rest of the class. Aside from you, of course." Draco said. "My turn. Who wants to ask me?" Draco said, shaking the small box. Draco looked at his friend's face. "I have a really nicely-written history book, Harry, which covers all that and more, should you want to borrow it."
"I would like to. Thanks, Draco. I'll ask you. Ready?" The teens spent a whole three hours sprawled on the Potions Master floor, playing "Witch Wizard?" and eating snacks. Hermione was ahead by a mile.
"Pathetic. That's what I am. Pathetic. I was even raised as a wizard, and girl with Muggle parents is beating me!" Draco said, tossing a pretzel at her. She tossed one back.
"I can't help it if my brain is superior to that of males." She said, taking a card out for Harry. She grinned as she read to herself. "Harry, if you miss this, I reserve the right to declare you hopeless and remove you from the wizarding world myself." Harry immediately began running through all the wizards he had ever heard of, in hopes of making Hermione eat her words. "'This wizard was extremely young when he first fought against evil. Rumor has it that he is extremely powerful, conjuring a corporeal Patronus at a young age. He is currently in school and enjoys playing on his House Quidditch team. His most memorable quote to a fellow famous wizard was "Oh, no. Not you." Hermione sat back. Her expression dared Harry to miss it. The only thing was, Harry had no idea who this wizard was. Who was famous that also went to school and played on a Quidditch team? He ran through the list again, thinking that it might be Krum, but the date on the game was just this year, and Krum was no longer in school.
"Merlin, Potter! Do you want another scar?" Draco threatened. Harry's head snapped up. There was no possible way he was in this game! No way on earth!
"Harry Potter?" he said, wondering how hard they were going to laugh at him.
"And that, wizards and witches, is the game! Harry's broom landed on 'Apparate to Finish', so he just won." Hermione said, starting to gather up the pieces to put them away.
"I'm in a game?" Harry demanded. Draco snorted. "Why in the world would they put me in a game?" Hermione shrugged.
"I don't know, Harry. They did flatter you." She said.
"How?" he asked. He hadn't heard any flattery.
"Extremely powerful. They only used those words with Merlin, Grindelwald, Dumbledore, Morgana, and Nicolas Flamel." Harry shrugged.
"So? I'm not that powerful." He told them. Draco laughed again while Hermione only shook her head. "What?"
"If you're not powerful, Harry, I'd hate to see what you do consider to be powerful." Hermione told him, packing away her game back into her schoolbag.
"Dumbledore." He answered.
"Sophistry, Harry. You can do wandless magic whenever you feel like it. Even Dumbledore can't do more than the simplest spells without his wand." Harry stared at her.
"It's true, mate." Draco told him. "You've faced Voldemort at least six times by now, and you've come out of it completely intact. Face it, you're powerful." Harry rolled his eyes and fell backwards.
"I just want to be normal." Harry told him.
"Never gonna happen, mate." Draco said, tossing a pretzel his way. Harry sat up and returned fire. Hermione let it go on for a few minutes before stopping the two of them.
"Let's not act like first years." She said, taking the bowl away from them and banishing it back to the kitchens.
"I'm afraid that first year behavior is above these particular Gryffindors." Snape said from the doorway into his lab. Hermione turned and smiled at Professor Snape. Harry frantically tried to think of a worthy comeback to Snape's comment. Everyone was surprised when Hermione beat him to it.
"You're absolutely right, Professor. They weren't behaving as first year Gryffindors. They were behaving as first year Slytherins." Professor Snape's mouth dropped open while Harry and Draco fell over into laughter. Snape was tempted to take points, to maintain appearances, but allowed her the small victory. She had made Draco laugh his first real laugh since he heard the news.
"Touché, Miss Granger." She smiled and nodded, glad that he had understood her reasoning behind the comment. "Now, my living room has been a lion's den all evening. It is almost curfew. I think you and Mr. Potter should be going." Hermione nodded, wished Draco a good evening, and pulled Harry to his feet.
"Night, mate. If you ever want to talk..." Draco nodded.
"I know where to find you." Draco said. "I'll see you in classes soon." Harry nodded and allowed Hermione to lead him out the door.
"Did you have fun?" Draco nodded and told Severus about the game. "He couldn't even figure it out until I gave him a clue!" Draco said, explaining Harry's win. "He couldn't believe that he was in the game."
"That boy suffers from a lack of self-esteem." Draco snorted.
"How about a lack of normal?" Draco processed what Snape had said. "This coming from the man who once said that Harry was an arrogant, spoiled brat? Wait until I tell him! He'll love it!" Severus only rolled his eyes and handed Draco a glass of pumpkin juice. Draco nodded his thanks. "I'm sure he'll want to put that in his memoirs."
Draco drained the juice and set the glass aside. Severus started counting down the seconds. "I can see it now: 'Today I found out that the professor who used to hate me thinks I have self-esteem iss..." Severus caught Draco as the boy fell asleep.
"My, my, little dragon. You must have been really tired." Severus murmured to the sleeping teen. He levitated Draco to his room and transfigured his uniform to pajamas. "Note to self: Bedtime drinks are a must for when children are hyper." Severus tucked the boy under the blankets and went to his office. He left his private door open in case Draco somehow managed to wake up and needed him. He warded the public one before sitting down and staring off into space. He pulled open a drawer and drew out some papers that he had sent for a few weeks back. At the top, it clear bold letters, stood the words, "Petition for Adoption".
He gathered the papers together and took them to his bedroom. He would ask Draco in the morning. Fudge would act fast to recover his losses with the whole debacle concerning Harry and Tom Riddle. Now, the son of Malfoy would be on the line. Severus intended to put a stop to that. He would allow no Slytherin of his to be treated in such a manner. If he got a son in the bargain, well, all to the better.
"I know this may come as a little soon, but would you consider...?" He practiced alone in the privacy of his bedroom, trying to plan out a perfect argument that would have the boy agreeing to his ideas. He truly hoped he would have a tentative son by evening.
A/N: There! Nine whole pages for you all. I know it's a little short, but now that I'm back in school, there's not much I can do about that. I hope you enjoy! For now, my hands are tired. Remember, I love reviews as much as the next author!